Japan Proposing Closer Military Ties With South Korea

Responding to recent provocations by North Korea, Japan’s defense minister will soon visit Seoul with several proposals aimed at strengthening military ties despite South Korea’s lingering bitterness over Japan’s colonial past, Japanese news media reported on Tuesday.

During the trip next week, Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa will propose that the two Asian neighbors sign separate agreements to cooperate in supplying each other’s armed forces during peacekeeping and other international operations, and to facilitate sharing of delicate military information, the reports said. They also said he would propose that Japan and South Korea increase military contacts by scheduling regular high-level meetings between defense officials.